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When to Call Your Oral Surgeon After Wisdom Teeth Removal

With a highly-experienced oral surgeon, wisdom teeth removal typically comes with a smooth and easy recovery. The vast majority of patients – even those with impacted wisdom teeth — heal up without a problem.

But, complications can occur. After you undergo wisdom tooth extraction, you’ll need to watch for certain warning signs. If you should happen to notice a potentially serious issue, it’s important that you call your oral surgeon immediately.

High Fever

Feeling a little feverish? After wisdom teeth removal, a low-grade fever is not a reason to worry. But keep track of your temperature – and if it goes above 100 degrees, call your surgeon at once. A high fever is a sign of infection, a post-extraction complication that requires antibiotic treatment.

Substantial Bleeding

After a tooth extraction, a blood clot forms at the surgical site. This should occur – and the bleeding should stop – no later than the day after the procedure. If you’re still experiencing bleeding after this point, contact your oral surgeon. Chances are, the area needs a few stiches.

Ongoing Numbness

Anesthesia can cause lingering numbness during the first hours after wisdom tooth extraction. However, if the numbness in your lips, tongue, jaw or face doesn’t disappear, call your surgeon – you might have nerve damage, or paresthesia. The complication usually resolves itself after a short time, but it’s a good ideas to seek out expert advice.

Significant Swelling

Chipmunk cheeks are an all-too-common side effect of wisdom teeth extraction, and the swelling can last for a few days. If you still have a seriously swollen face on the fourth or fifth day of recovery, put in a call to your oral surgeon – you likely have an infection.

Increasing Pain

When you’re recovering from a tooth extraction, you can expect some discomfort. The pain should gradually lessen and disappear – so if yours starts to go the opposite direction, call your oral surgeon. Increasing pain usually points to either an infection or dry socket, and both post-extraction complications require professional attention.

Socket Drainage

If you spot pus drainage after wisdom tooth extraction, you might have an infection. Pus that isn’t accompanied by pain may not require treatment, but play it safe and get an expert opinion.

Are you concerned about recovering from wisdom teeth removal? At Northeast Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, complications are unlikely – our board-certified oral surgeons, Dr. Garrison and Dr. Kelly, have decades of experience with both simple procedures and extractions of impacted wisdom teeth.

That said, we invite patients to call Northeast Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery anytime they have concerns about post-extraction symptoms. And, we make every effort to see everyone who contacts us as soon as possible at our Indianapolis, Indiana, office. If you need expert advice on wisdom teeth removal or recovery from the procedure, contact us and schedule an oral surgeon consultation today.